Quemoy and Matsu, 1958

• Mao Ze Dong orders the bombardment of two small islands claimed by Taiwan

• US respond by sending 7th Fleet and threatening to use nuclear retaliation

• At first, Mao refuses to back down and talks about China’s large population being able to absorb nuclear weapons

• US considers using nuclear strike

• Soviets become threaten to use theirs in retaliation but also uses diplomacy to get Chinese to back down

• Mao suspends bombardment